


Paint Yourself a Picture

by AshTriesTheirBest



Category: Persona 5, Persona 5 The Royal, Persona Series
Genre: Akechi Goro Lives, Background Ryuji/Ren, Developing Friendship, Friendship, M/M, Mentions of Murder, Mentions of Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Persona 5 The Royal Spoilers, Slow Burn, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:14:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25257496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshTriesTheirBest/pseuds/AshTriesTheirBest
Summary: Goro may not show it on the outside but deep down his soul is aching. He's angry and confused and his only outlet for dealing with this has officially disappeared. He would never admit it out loud but he needs help. He needs a healthy outlet for all these negative feelings swirling inside of his heart...Fortunately, there's someone who's willing to help him. Someone who's all too familiar with the pain of being used and easily thrown away by your own father.
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Kitagawa Yusuke
Comments: 10
Kudos: 36





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This was an idea I've had bouncing around in my head for a long while and I've finally decided to get started on it. You ever wished Goro and Yusuke interacted more and talked about their feelings? Well, here you go homies. I hope you like it~

Goro truly had no intentions to phase into his rival's quaint little friend group once he came back from the dead for the...second time now if he was counting correctly. The fact that this was something that could even be counted on one hand, let alone counted at all was a tad unnerving. He'd prefer to not make a habit out of it if he could help it.

He was tempted to confront Ren again after he surprisingly woke up in the middle of the construction site where Maruki's palace previously stood. But in the end, he decided to keep his distance from his rival and especially from his friends. If he stayed away, they didn't have to force themselves to associate with him anymore. 

It was when Golden Week rolled around that Goro found himself longing for the taste of Leblanc's coffee. At least that's how he rationalized it in his mind. Deep down he just longed for the old days where he could sit at the counter of that dingy yet comfortable coffee shop and play word games with his dear rival.

Of course, he'd never actually admit that out loud. He would never admit that to himself either no matter how much it nagged at the back of his mind. That's when he found himself in front of Leblanc's door, he scowled inwardly at himself when he felt his hand starting to tremble as he reached for the door handle. The door slowly swung open, the little jingle of the bell filling the room.

It was then that several pairs of eyes turned in his direction, shock painted across their faces.

Of course, it was them. It was Golden Week for God's sake he should've assumed that he would come back to visit his dear friends. He repeatedly cursed at himself in his head, overwhelmed with the incredible urge to just turn around and walk out.

"A-Akechi?"

Joker- no Ren, was the only one to speak up amongst his group as he stared wide-eyed at the dead man walking.

Then he flashed him a smile and...were those tears forming in his eyes?

Goro couldn't help his smirk. Ren was as sentimental as ever.

~

Ren roped him into sticking around despite the initial hesitation of a select few of his friends. It was then that he got bombarded with questions from all corners of the room.

_"How did you survive?!"_

_"Were you in some sort of coma?"_

_"How damn lucky do you have to be to come back from the dead for a second time?!"_

His rival tried to calm them down but Goro could see in his eyes that he too was holding back a number of questions.

So for the sake of his rival and for his own sanity, he gave them the answers they sought. Eventually, the questions and shock seemed to wear off as the afternoon slipped by. Haru and Futaba were the first to excuse themselves from the reunion for...obvious reasons. He'd rather not dwell on it at the moment. They had every right to despise him, there was no use fighting it.

Eventually, Goro shifted over to sit in one of the booths to put some distance between himself and the group. It was simply too overwhelming getting thrust into the...organized chaos that was their friendships. As he sipped his delicious hot coffee he noticed someone sitting across from him in total silence as he sketched away. It was Yusuke Kitagawa. 

They had never exchanged many words to each other by themselves. With the chaos going on across the room they might as well have been alone together.   
Not to mention there was this...calm serenity that surrounded the artist that put Goro's mind at ease and made the loud chatter disappear. How odd. 

When he took another sip of his coffee, Yusuke finally spoke up.

"You seem overwhelmed."

Goro tilted his head curiously with slightly widened eyes. He noted that the artist didn't even lift his eyes from his sketchbook. How could he possibly be aware of Goro's underlying anxiety? The detective scoffed at the mere notion. "Not at all. What gave you that idea?"

As his pencil stilled he finally looked up and peered into Goro's eyes. There was something about Yusuke's gaze that unnerved the older boy. His eyes were as deep and dark as the ocean floor itself, the only fragment of light that shines within them came from the coffee shop's ceiling lights reflecting against the darkness. His gaze was steel and sharp. Those were the eyes of an artist, able to scrutinize even the smallest details within paintings...and people as well.

"Well for one thing you chose to sit with me of all people."

Was that really so odd?

"Other than that you've been drumming your fingers against the table."

Had he? He noticed right then that he was in fact doing exactly what he pointed out. He stilled his hand the moment he became aware of it. He must've been doing it subconsciously without thinking about it.

"You're also making a point of sitting right against the wall of the booth. Almost as if you're trying to keep as much distance away from them as possible."

Goro gripped his cup in his hand. On one hand, he was irritated that he was getting read so easily but on the other, he was almost impressed by it. But the only emotion that seeped into his tone of voice was the irritation. "You're sitting close to the wall as well Kitagawa-kun."

"Not to distance myself emotionally. But physically. I'm sketching everyone and I needed the proper view."

"So you're saying I'm emotionally distancing myself?"

Yusuke chuckled softly, "I thought that was already clear. But yes."

Somehow that laugh irritated him further because it just felt like he was twisting the knife deeper but at the same time, it also sounded quite charming. Soothing even. It made it hard to stay completely mad at him. "I'll admit I'm...impressed. You have quite the discerning eye. Although I suppose that's par for the course for an artist." Goro could feel the corners of his lips lift up into a smile despite himself.

Yusuke's cloudy eyes widened with genuine surprise.

"Something the matter, Kitagawa-kun?"

"You're smiling."

Goro sipped his coffee, at a total loss as to why that mattered. "Yes, and?"

The artist shook his head as if to clear his initial thought away. "Nothing. I doubt it's something you'd want to hear."

With that, his smile was replaced by his signature smirk. "How smart of you to watch your step around me. Lest I snap and do something to hurt you." 

"You wouldn't."

Goro rolled his eyes in annoyance, his voice angry and bitter. "Tch, don't sound so sure of yourself. As if you know me at all."

Yusuke then gazed deep into his eyes again. Goro hated it. It felt as if he was stripping his very soul bare. There was silence between them for a moment before the artist spoke again. "Have you ever considered channeling that anger into something?"

That was certainly unexpected. "I'm sorry what?"

"Your deep-seated anger and resentment could be channeled into something creative. Now you may hate hearing this-"

Goro grimaced, "So much for watching your step around me."

"Just give it a chance would you?" There was a slight edge to his words that caught the detective off guard. 

Ah. So this is what he sounded like when he was irritated. There was this cold harshness within Yusuke's voice that drew Goro in. He supposed it wouldn't hurt to hear him out...

"Okay fine. What is it?"

Yusuke breathed out a sigh of relief and absentmindedly tapped his pencil against his sketchbook as he spoke. His tone became softer, more vulnerable. "When I was under Madarame's tutelage I would often find my anger and frustration seeping into my artwork. Despite the fact that those paintings would eventually be under my former sensei's name, I found it quite therapeutic to let my feelings out in such a manner." A sad almost forlorn smile began to adorn his lips.

Goro found himself hanging onto the artist's every word. However, he kept his entire body still, not giving away any indication that he was affected by his tale in any way.  
"Those paintings were...the visual representation of me screaming my lungs out. My indirect way of begging for someone to help me. Fortunately for me, someone had finally noticed." He looked into Goro's eyes again but this time it was not to scrutinize him. It was to get his own feelings across to the other. "If they hadn't realized my pain, I'm almost positive I would've-" He cut himself off, "Nevermind that. But I do wish to help you get that pain off your chest. I can show you how to express that pain through art."

It felt as if the air had been knocked out of the detective's lungs. His intentions were so...kind and genuine. Not at all what he would've expected from one of Ren's friends. He assumed they all held some sort of animosity towards him for one reason or another.

But here Yusuke was, metaphorically reaching out a hand to help him. 

Goro drummed his fingers against the table without thinking. "I'm not so sure..." 

Yusuke chuckled to himself once more, "You're doing it again." 

The detective sighed and stilled his hand. " _Anyway_ , like I was saying I don't know if that'll necessarily work for me."

"Hm." The younger boy absent-mindedly tapped his pencil against his sketchbook. "This might sound like quite a cliche but, you never know until you try."

Goro couldn't help but groan in exasperation. "You're right. That did sound horribly cliche. But you have a point."

Yusuke eagerly leaned forward awaiting his answer. "So?"

As he took the last sip of his coffee he made his decision. What did he have to lose by giving in to this? He'll go to his place, do one painting and after realizing that venting out his anger that way doesn't work for him he'll leave and never bother with it again.

"Fuck it. Sure. Does tomorrow afternoon work?"

Yusuke's face brightened at his agreement. "Yes! That's completely fine with me."

Goro wasn't sure why but he felt a stirring in his chest at the sight. He pushed that thought aside, he could deal with whatever that was later. He had a much more pressing question to ask.

"I don't understand though. Why do you want to do this for someone like me?"

Again, the artist graced the air with his gentle laughter. "We're not as different as you seem to think."

Before Goro could ask what that meant Ryuji had called out to Yusuke and beckoned him to come over. He responded with a grin and got up out of his seat, leaving the detective alone with his thoughts.

_We're not so different? What the hell does he mean?_

Was he talking about not being so different from the Phantom Thieves or...not being so different from just Yusuke himself?

As more and more questions began to swirl around in his mind he called Ren over to give him another cup of his favorite blend.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a warm yet breezy afternoon with not a single cloud in the sky. A perfect day for Goro to ride his bike on the way to Yusuke's dorm as Kosei. He had hoped it would help him clear his mind but to no avail. He was still at a total loss as to why the artist would even want to bother with someone like him. After everything he had done the last thing he deserved was Yusuke's unrelenting kindness. Was the artist not worried about what his friends would think of him doing such a thing? Surely Ren wouldn't mind it but the others...

He heaved out a sigh and slowed his bike to a stop once Kosei's building came into his view. 

There was no use dwelling on it. It was time to bite the bullet and accept the impending disappointment he was soon to face by "expressing his pain through art". Sure it may have worked for Yusuke but Goro's anger and suppressed trauma were a whole other beast. Surely it couldn't be tamed by the mere flow of a paintbrush.

~

After knocking upon his door it didn't take long for the artist to answer its beckoning call. Yusuke opened it and greeted Goro with a small polite smile. "I already have everything we need set up. Please come in." 

No simple greeting like a "hello" or "how are you?" fell from the artist's lips as he gestured for him to come inside. The detective couldn't help a smile at that simple observation. He fully welcomed the total lack of exchanging those meaningless pleasantries with each other.

He stepped into his room, hearing the gentle click of Yusuke closing the door behind him. He immediately spotted two canvases propped up on easels in the center. There was also a small table between them laid out with two painting palettes, already set with the colors Yusuke had chosen for them to use, a various selection of different brushes, and two cups of water to dip their dirty brushes in.

Goro furrowed his brow as he approached one of the canvases before him. Then he glanced down at the various colors of paint set on the palette and huffed out a sigh. "May I be honest with you Kitagawa-kun?" The taller boy approached him curiously, standing in front of his own canvas. "Of course."

"I have no damn clue where to start with any of this." 

Yusuke just chuckled warmly, "Understandable. I expected as much." 

Goro quirked up an eyebrow at that remark, making no effort at all to hide his annoyance. "You...expected as much?"

Either the artist didn't pick up on his tone or he simply chose to ignore it. The detective found himself leaning towards the prior assumption.

"Well, of course, you're just starting out. You're not going to know what you want to paint right off the bat." Yusuke had then picked up a brush, seemingly just to twirl it around in his hand as he spoke. "There's no need to be frustrated. Even experienced artists cringe at the taunting sight of a blank canvas from time to time."

Goro shot an icy glare at the younger boy, "Who said I was frustrated?"

Without missing a beat he simply replied, "You did."

The detective, of course, scoffed at that, "When?"

Yusuke's lips stretched into a confident smile as he stared back at the detective, completely undaunted by his bitter tongue. "The moment your eyes were set on that canvas you glared at it as if it offended you somehow. I take it you're the sort who hates not being immediately good at something."

Goro just stared at him in shellshocked silence for a moment whilst various emotions were cycling through his head. 

Frustration, anger, amazement, and...insecurity; because Yusuke was completely right. Goro wondered what else the artist had possibly picked up on. That train of thought made his chest tighten with worry. Sure, Ren could read him rather easily and pick up on the meaning of his emotions and mannerisms but that was only after spending numerous amounts of time together over the past year. He had never spent any meaningful time with Yusuke apart from yesterday in Leblanc and even that only lasted a few minutes. 

So how was it possible for this artist to read Goro like a book? It made him feel so vulnerable and unguarded. He was used to that feeling with his rival and even enjoyed letting down his walls with him from time to time. 

But being stripped of his emotional defenses in front of Yusuke was uncharted territory. 

"Look let's just get started already!" Goro deliberately ignored his observation and quickly nabbed a random brush off the table, eager to change the subject.

Fortunately, Yusuke made no attempt to push the matter, but he still didn't remove his steel-like gaze from the detective. "How do you intend to get started when you have "no damn clue" how to do so?" The older boy fiercely gripped the brush in his hand. "Gosh, I don't know." His voice reeked of sarcasm as he stuck the bristles into a blob of red paint on the palette and recklessly pressed it into the canvas, leaving behind a messy looking blotch. "Why don't you do like you promised and show me how to "express my pain through art" Kitagawa-kun?"

Yusuke eyed the mark he left behind curiously with a slight tilt of his head. "I suppose in a way you just did. You could keep doing that if you wanted." He then delicately dipped his own brush into a blob of dark blue paint. It reminded Goro of the deep never-ending darkness in his eyes. "Let that frustration guide your hand. Let it inspire you. Eventually, it'll feel as if its effortlessly flowing from your very own fingertips."

Goro stared at Yusuke incredulously, "I thought you said I should have a clear idea before I start?" 

Now it was the artist's turn to show off a smirk of his own. "Now when did I ever say something like that?"

The older boy felt his jaw starting to clench as he narrowed his eyes at Yusuke. His voice sounded as if he was spitting out each word with pure venom. "You didn't. But you made it sound as if I had to when you asked me how I intended to start."

Yusuke gracefully slid his brush across his own canvas with a flourish. "And that inspired you did it not? It surely got your brush moving." The artist glanced at Goro out of the corner of his eye with a soft smile, and with that, the detective finally understood what he was up to.

A soft chuckle fell from his lips, "Unbelievable." He felt his body starting to relax again, his grip on the paintbrush loosening. "You were getting under my skin on purpose to spur me on. Impressive Kitagawa-kun." 

Yusuke turned his gaze straight towards Goro, staring into his eyes again with pure kindness. The detective suddenly felt incredibly exposed. Not to mention he felt that same familiar flutter in his chest from yesterday. How odd. 

"I just gave you a little push in the right direction is all."

Again, a genuine smile formed on the older boy's face. "You could've just told me from the start that I didn't need a clear idea to begin painting you know."

It could've been a trick of the light on Goro's eyes but it looked as if Yusuke's cheeks were faintly flushed a bright pink. 

"I could've. But you seem to find enjoyment in those kinds of mind games so I-" He bit nervously at his bottom lip, turning his gaze away. It made Goro exhale a breath he didn't even realize he was holding. "I apologize. It was rather uncouth of me to trick you."

The detective shook his head with a small laugh, "Hehe, there's no need for that. If anything you're making this more interesting than I thought it would be."

"Oh...is that so?" He swiped his brush across the canvas again, avoiding Goro's warm brown eyes. "Good. I'm glad." His voice was clear and steady and seemingly unperturbed but the detective could see the relieved smile on his face.

How did Yusuke manage to be so effortlessly charming?


	3. Chapter 3

As the afternoon wore on the two boys painted in pure silence as they focused on their individual works. This was to be expected of course. You can't distract an artist with idle chatter. Despite not being the creative type Goro was at least aware of that much.

When their little session started to draw to a close with the setting of the sun the detective stood back to get a good view of his work.

Goro's first painting was...not exactly a marvel to gaze upon. To him, it was practically screaming with pure amateurism. But that didn't stop Yusuke from praising him immensely for his efforts.

"Your emotions are certainly shining through your brushwork. I can sense the righteous heated fury in those large swathes of crimson. Its as if they're flames dancing across the canvas!" 

The detective stared at him, completely dumbstruck by his observations that were clearly unfounded in logic and reason. Did he even hear what he was saying? What happened to that discerning artistic eye of his that could pick up on the smallest of flaws?

"You have to be playing mind games again. My "brushwork" is nothing to compliment at all." 

Goro picked up the brush he had been using to emphasize his point. Its bristles were completely frayed and flying apart, rendering it impossible for further use. "You saw what I was doing the whole time so you should know. I was just stabbing and swiping at the canvas with no rhyme or reason." He slammed the brush onto the table with a scowl. He loathed to admit it but Yusuke had been right on the money about him hating when he wasn't immediately good at something. He knew it was a childish expectation but unfortunately, old habits die hard.

Yusuke remained unphased by his small outburst and responded with a patient smile. "Indeed. It was quite a sight to behold." He picked up Goro's discarded brush and twirled it between his fingers, gazing at it thoughtfully. "It reminded me of how you would fight in the metaverse once you discarded your fanciful disguise." He grazed his thumb across the frayed bristles. "You pierced those shadows with your sword you slashed them to pieces without mercy. You were angry, fierce, and unwavering. It seemed chaotic on the surface but-" The artist appeared lost in thought for a moment as if he was imagining the scene in his head before he spoke again. "But yet each strike of yours had remained well thought out and methodical. It was a very captivating sight."

Goro stayed silent, his lips pressed firmly into a thin line as to not give away what he was feeling in that moment. He wasn't even sure what he was feeling in the first place anyway.

Yusuke continued on.

"Still, even now without that wretched world riddled with shadows that determined passion you exhibited then still breaks through. Especially in what you painted here." He glanced up into Goro's eyes with a small yet reassuring grin. "It was as if this little brush here became your new sword." He gingerly set it back on the table. "So don't worry about how skilled you are. What matters is the fact that when I looked at it, I felt something. That's what's most important."

Goro wanted to say something to him after that long-winded speech of his. But nothing substantial was coming to mind at all. His emotions were riddled with immense discourse, trying to decipher what he truly felt about every word. It seemed impossible. How could someone who's seen the ugliest parts of him say those things? He saw the way the other members of the team would look at him during their fights against the shadows. They appeared uncomfortable and a bit disturbed as he unleashed his anger on their enemies. Ren, of course, never looked at him that way, and Goro was convinced he was the only one who didn't.

So was it actually true that Yusuke never looked at him like that either?

When he had that thought he finally figured out what he was truly feeling.

"Thank you."

It was difficult to fathom but he was actually grateful for Yusuke. The artist had this way with words that made even Goro's deep seething anger sound beautiful. He even said he was captivating while he was fighting. Did that mean he had looked captivating while he was painting as well? It was hard to wrap his head around but he still felt himself swell with pride at the thought.

Yusuke seemed confused for a moment before his face brightened. "You're welcome, Akechi."

He spoke his name in such a soft and gentle way. It filled Goro's chest with a comforting warmth. But he ignored that feeling by shoving it aside and changing the topic as quickly as he could.

"Well since you got to critique my painting, I think it's only fair that I critique yours as well." 

Yusuke nodded in response and stood aside. "Yes, of course. Give me your honest opinion."

In the midst of a sea of blue laid a large yet delicate looking flower. The flower didn't look ordinary, that was abundantly clear by first glance. The large pure white petals shimmered faintly with hints of gold, to make it seem as if they were glowing. The distinct shape of them reminded Goro of raindrops. 

"Hm." He hummed softly as he continued to carefully examine it.

In the center of the petals was a faintly yellow pistil with a golden spiral shape twirling through the middle of it. Upon closer inspection, the brushwork was incredibly intricate and detailed. 

"Kitagawa-kun..." He tried to hold back his awe and swallowed what his initial thought was. 

_It's absolutely stunning._

"You're incredibly skilled."

Yusuke chuckled faintly, "That's kind of you to say. Anything else?"

Goro could hear it plainly in his voice. He was trying to push him to say what the painting made him feel. 

He huffed out a sigh and peered at the painting again, trying to discern the emotions that came from it. "Well, I suppose it feels hopeful somehow." He decided to be honest and said whatever came off the top of his head. "Despite the fact that it's floating in the middle of this dark dangerous ocean it's still managing to survive. It's still keeping its warmth and its light. That feels hopeful to me."

That must have been the right response because Yusuke was practically beaming. 

"Perfect! That's exactly what I was trying to capture. That and...one other thing."

Goro eyed him curiously, "And what would that happen to be?"

The younger boy just smiled, a mysterious twinkle evident in his eyes. "That'll have to stay between me and the canvas I'm afraid."

The detective kept his eyes on him, studying him closely with a furrowed brow. "Yet for some reason, you still felt the need to let me know." He smirked when he came to his realization, "Be honest with me Kitagawa-kun, are you trying to taunt me with a mystery?"

"Perhaps." Yusuke answered quickly, then nonchalantly picked up the cups with the dirty paint water and walked over to the sink to wash them out. Goro couldn't hide the smugness in his tone, nor would he even want to. "You're just making yourself more suspicious. I'll find out soon enough."

He noted the way Yusuke almost dropped the cup he was washing, nearly sending it crashing into the sink below. 

Interesting. He seemed rather nervous about the idea of Goro figuring out the other meaning behind his picture. What could it be that he's so insistent on hiding?

~

After Goro made his departure from Kosei he found himself craving Leblanc's coffee once again. That and he wanted to spend some quality time with his rival before he went back home at the end of the week. There was no point in denying that part of him anymore, the part of him that secretly vyed for Ren's company and his dear friendship.

**Goro: Hello Ren. If its no trouble I'm going to stop by Leblanc this evening for some coffee.**

In less than a minute he got a reply back.

**Ren: Great. I've got nothing planned tonight.**

**Goro: Really? I thought your schedule would be booked this week what with all your friends vying for your attention.**

**Ren: My mornings and afternoons are booked sure. But I cleared out my evening schedule this week so I could spend more time with you.**

**Ren: Besides Friday evening though. I have a date with Ryuji. Not canceling that.**

The detective couldn't deny the gentle warmth that spread through his chest. 

**Goro: How thoughtful of you to set some time aside just for me.**

**Ren: I thought you were smarter than that. Why wouldn't I?**

Goro decided not to reply to his last message and just made his way to Yongen-Jaya. But Ren was right. He was dumb to assume his rival wouldn't get all sentimental and insist on hanging out with him like old times.

~

Goro sat at Leblanc's counter and sipped his fresh cup of coffee whilst enjoying the stark contrast in how quiet the cafe was compared to yesterday's festivities. Ren leisurely wiped off the counter with a small smile. "Sorry about yesterday. But to be fair everyone thought you were dead and you just casually walked in." It was as if he read his mind. The detective laughed softly, "Well to be fair I only expected to see Boss when I walked in here."

"What were you going to tell him?"

Goro traced his finger around the rim of the cup. "I mean it'd have been easier to explain myself to him than all of you. He wasn't at all aware that my life had been hanging in the balance."

A sorrowful look crossed Ren's face before he shook it away and flashed Goro a genuine grin. "I'm...really glad you're back. I don't think I've said that enough." Goro sipped his drink with a genuine smile of his own. "I believe the eight times you said it yesterday were quite enough but, it doesn't hurt to hear it again."

The evening went on with their usual back and forth banter. It was as if nothing between them had changed at all.

It was nice to be by each other's side again.

Whilst Goro was in the middle of his third cup of the night Ren broached a new topic. "So I saw you talking to Yusuke yesterday. How did that go?" 

"Fine."

Ren sighed and leaned forward against the counter, resting his chin in his hands. "Can you give me more than that? Come on it's totally impossible to have a boring conversation with Yusuke." Recalling what went down with him yesterday Goro could only nod in agreement. "I think in that instance I would've preferred him to be at least a tad more boring." His rival eyed him curiously, "Why's that?"

"It was as if he was reading my mind. I'm used to that kind of thing with you but it was so damn unnerving with him. He was picking up on all the meanings of my mannerisms and my body language."

His grip on the coffee cup tightened a bit. "And his eyes...they're so dark and sharp. When he stared into mine it felt like he was reaching into the confines of my soul. He's so observant and brutally honest I was at a loss on how to react. And you know it takes a lot to perturb me."

Ren's gray eyes were widened slightly in surprise. "Wow. It sounds like he really got to you."

"Honestly yes. He did." He sipped his coffee only to realize it had apparently gotten cold because he spent too much time talking. Oh well, he didn't care very much about that at the moment. "You know he offered to teach me how to paint to express my negative emotions? It was completely out of the blue as well. Why would he want to do such a thing for me anyway? God, he's so strange..."

Instead of responding to his question Ren asked a question of his own.

"So did you accept his offer?"

The detective pursed his lips, his grip on the cup tightening. "I did. And you know what made me cave? He said, "you never know unless you try". What kind of cliche crap is that?!" He pressed two fingers into his forehead as if he was on the verge of a headache and groaned. "Ugh. And of course when I agreed his face lit up like a damn Christmas tree! And if you think that sounds bad you wouldn't believe how our first session went today."

Although Ren could barely get a word in as Goro ranted about his day he still sat there and listened politely, the occasional smile and chuckle crossing his lips. 

"And then he- Ren what's so funny?!" He scowled at his rival as he continued to shamelessly laugh at him.

"You are! You talk as if you're complaining but it actually sounds like you enjoyed yourself a lot."

Goro could feel his face starting to flush in embarrassment. He mumbled angrily, "That's not at all the case. He unnerves me."

"Mhm. So are you going to have another session with him?"

He was about to open his mouth to answer but he stopped for a moment. He had planned initially on doing it only once but for some reason, he had found himself actually wanting to go back.

He wanted to know what else Yusuke had in store for him as they went down this path together. He wanted to figure out what the hell was going on in that artist's head that made him want to assist Goro with his emotional turmoil. 

Goro couldn't believe it. Someone other than Ren was managing to capture his attention. Someone other than his rival had managed to completely and utterly captivate him. But somehow this still felt different in comparison to what he felt with Ren. Being around him made him feel unbelievably happy and lifted a weight off his chest that made him feel as if he was breathing for the first time. With Yusuke, he actually found it harder for him to breathe. It wasn't a weight on his chest however, it was more like his lungs were being incessantly squeezed. Accompanied by that was this weird fluttery feeling he would get in his stomach and a strange warmth that would spread throughout his chest.

Would it be appropriate to say that Yusuke makes him feel sick? 

Realizing that Ren had been staring at him waiting for him to answer he opened his mouth, only to be interrupted by the beeping of his phone.

"Sorry. One second."

When he saw the name on the screen he felt his stomach flip.

**Yusuke: My apologies but I forgot to ask you before you left. Are you free to come by again tomorrow around the same time?**

Goro swallowed thickly, typing his response without thinking twice about it.

**Goro: I am. I'll see you then.**

Without waiting for a response he closed out his phone and thumped his head down against the counter. He spoke in a pained tone, his voice slightly muffled. "We're having another session tomorrow."

Ren just reached out and patted him on the head. 

Goro didn't have the energy to stop him. He just breathed out a very heavy sigh. "He's going to be the death of me."

"Don't die a third time please."


	4. Chapter 4

Goro felt absolutely ridiculous. 

As he was getting ready to leave his home for their next art session, running his hairbrush delicately through his caramel locks, Ren's relentless teasing about Yusuke the night before kept irritably replaying in his head like a record player. 

_"You talk as if you're complaining but it actually sounds like you enjoyed yourself a lot!"_

He slammed the hairbrush down on the dresser with a huff.

Why did he have to constantly be right? Yes, he'll admit he didn't have a bad day with Yusuke. There was just something about him that pulled you in and made you want to learn more. He had this cool calming aura akin to a gentle rain while at the same time his mere gaze could slice through you and make your blood run cold. He couldn't help but shiver at the thought of it.

He felt his lungs starting to constrict, making it a bit harder to breathe. Why now? He's not even here, yet just picturing Yusuke seemed to trigger something inside of the detective. It was a foreign feeling completely unknown to him. 

He forcibly pushed that aside and started to apply cover-up on his face, specifically over the dark circles beneath his eyes that refused to fade.

Normally he wouldn't leave a mystery unsolved but this was something he simply refused to look into. He didn't have time for such frivolous and ridiculous thoughts. These warm gentle feelings were nothing deep or meaningful. They would surely fade away eventually.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time and figured if he left at that moment he might even make it a tad early. Yusuke didn't seem to have anything else to do so that shouldn't be much of a problem.

Goro then noticed his weather app saying in bold letters that a massive heatwave has hit the area. He groaned softly, pulling a hair-tie out of a small dresser drawer to pull his hair back into a small ponytail. It wasn't much but it would at least keep it from sticking to his neck.

With a sigh, he left his bedroom then headed for the front door. Once he stepped outside into the heat it immediately felt as if he was slowly being baked alive. 

The detective decided it would be best to opt for taking the train rather than biking his way there that day. He looked up at the clear sunny sky with a small grimace.

It was time to see what the eccentric artist had in store for him today.

~

Yusuke opened the door rather quickly for Goro, the same old polite smile fastened onto his face. "Ah! You're rather early-" Then that smile faded and he just stared intently at the detective. He looked quite dumbstruck as he just stood there in the doorway, completely fixated on the man in front of him. 

Goro felt that familiar shiver go up through his spine again. Being under Yusuke's intense gaze left him feeling incredibly exposed and vulnerable. Not to mention he was standing pretty close too. It was starting to get harder to breathe.

He coughed awkwardly to try and break the silence that hung over them.

"Ahem, Kitagawa-kun? Are you alright?"

Yusuke blinked and tilted his head slightly like a curious puppy.

"Hm? I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

He rolled his eyes in irritation and crossed his arms over his chest. "You're staring at me and not saying anything. It's unnerving."

"O-Oh." He carefully stepped aside to let the older boy enter his room. "My apologies." He chuckled nervously, brushing his hair back behind his ear only for it to fall back in front of his face. "I was just surprised."

With the door closed behind them, Goro narrowed his intense gaze at Yusuke. "About what? That I was a few minutes early?" For the first time, Yusuke seemed to be avoiding Goro's gaze, despite that his voice remained steady, although it was quite obviously being forced. "No, it was just...strange seeing you with your hair pulled back."

At that, the detective raised an eyebrow, confusion written all over his face. "And how exactly did that warrant you booring your eyes into me?"

The artist visibly swallowed, "It didn't. Again my apologies."

With how tense Yusuke seemed to be getting Goro didn't see a point in pressing the matter any further. He was still curious of course but this clearly wasn't going anywhere. So it was with a resigned sigh, that he shrugged it off for the time being.

"It's fine. Let's just get started."

A relieved smile curved Yusuke's lips as he nodded enthusiastically in agreement. "Yes, of course!" The artist walked up to his matching canvas next to Goro's and gazed at it thoughtfully, clearly trying to picture what he wanted to paint in his mind's eye. Goro followed suit. He gazed at the blank canvas laid before him and chewed at his bottom lip, deep in thought.

He was only able to start painting yesterday because the younger boy had spurred him on and purposefully made him angry. He didn't imagine that he would pull the same trick on him. So he had to do this on his own and look deep inside himself to channel his inner negative thoughts for inspiration. It was pretty easy to summon the things that angered him the most but expressing it visually in the form of art wasn't so simple for Goro.

He looked off to the side towards Yusuke and noticed he hadn't started painting yet either. His eyebrows were furrowed as he stared ahead, his hand resting against his chin thoughtfully. It seemed he was having some trouble as well today. It stayed that way for a few more moments, nothing but the sound of a cheap electric fan filling the void.

Until finally, Yusuke broke the silence between them.

"What angers you the most Akechi? What fills you to the brim with overwhelming amounts of rage?"

Despite Goro's initial shock of being asked that question so suddenly he still gave a clear and concise answer. It was the first thing that came to his mind.

"Shido." 

He spoke his name through gritted teeth, already feeling his deep seething resentment boiling up inside of him. "Why are you even asking me that? I think I've already made that quite clear." His voice was cold and bitter as he spoke with a highly sharpened tongue. "Was this another trick to piss me off?!"

Yusuke quickly shook his head, unbothered by the detective's quick change in demeanor. "Not at all. Now, what would you compare that unbridled anger to?"

Despite his confusion, he still managed to stare daggers at him. "What the hell do you mean?"

The artist spoke calmly, although there was a faint edge to his voice as he explained himself. "I mean what would you compare it to in a metaphorical sense." His dark eyes still had that same sharp determined gleam as he attempted to get his point across. "A good example of expressing anger would be a raging thunderstorm or perhaps an erupting volcano. Things in nature or in daily life that are wild and unforgiving are a good reference point for conveying certain emotions in your paintings."

Goro felt his anger slowly dying down once he fully understood the artist's intentions. He huffed out a deep sigh like he was releasing a pressure valve. The detective wanted to get better at keeping his emotions in check so he didn't needlessly snap at others but certain topics just brought out his worst qualities as a person.

He was completely aware of how much of an asshole he could be. 

"I-I see." He tugged awkwardly at his shirt collar, a sense of guilt washing over him for speaking to Yusuke in such a harsh tone when he was only trying his best to be his guide. "I'm sorry...for snapping at you like that." 

Yusuke's eyes widened. He seemed a little surprised by his genuine apology. But it wasn't long before the shock dissolved from his face and was replaced by a very appreciative smile. "Your apology is accepted."

It was as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He breathed out a small sigh of relief. "Well anyway," Goro was very eager to change the subject and move on. "Are you having trouble today as well?" Yusuke peered over at him curiously. "Indeed. I'm afraid that I've been hit by a terrible slump today. How could you tell?" The older boy then shot a playful smirk in Yusuke's direction, recalling the artist's glaring remark from yesterday. "The moment your eyes were set on that canvas you glared at it as if it offended you somehow." Yusuke let out a hearty warm laugh. "Haha! One moment you're ready to cut me down and the next you're teasing me. You're quite the enigma."

This was the first time he heard the artist let out such a full-blown genuine laugh. It sounded like a supervillain who had just gotten the upper hand on the hero and was reveling in his small victory. It was a bit strange but Goro found that quite endearing. The fact that he was the one who caused it made his chest swell with pride. "Can I take that as a compliment?" Yusuke peered into his eyes again with a gentle smile. "You can. I suppose it's another way of saying that there's no dull moment with you." 

Goro's face immediately dimmed. "I don't know if that's necessarily a good thing." He recalled all the times he lashed out at others, all the times he pushed people away, and the very moment that bullet he fired hit the cognitive Ren straight in the forehead. He could never forget that. It would forever be ingrained into his psyche. 

"With everything that I've done-"

"Hush." Yusuke had no qualms about interrupting the detective while he was talking. His eyes were narrowed with determination. He was going to be heard.

"The past is the past. There's no changing that. But I'm not talking about the Akechi from back then. I'm talking about the Akechi I know right now." His face lit up with a confident grin as if there was no possible way his stance could be argued with. "You're fierce. You're strong. You refuse to let yourself be controlled no matter what the cost! That strong force of will is incredibly admirable."

Goro wanted to deny his praise. Tell him that he was completely wrong. But the part of him that craved that sort of positive attention was reeling in delight. 

"Kitagawa-kun please-"

"I won't have you questioning my judgment." He interrupted him a second time causing the detective to heave out an exasperated groan. Once Yusuke started something he had to see it through to the end didn't he? 

"I could go on about your redeeming qualities but I'm afraid that'd take up our whole afternoon so let me just say one thing." 

Goro braced himself for the final killing blow of this emotional assault.

"I'm fond of the Akechi that I know now. The world would be incredibly dull without the person you've become. That's what I believe."

Bracing himself didn't help very much. He felt his heart jump up into his throat and what felt like butterflies were tickling him in his stomach. He didn't know how to act after being told such a kind thing. "Well-" Goro choked out the word, his chest feeling incredibly tight. What was it about Yusuke that made him feel as if he'd come down with a terrible illness? "That's very...kind of you to say." 

Yusuke chuckled proudly, "I was merely stating the obvious."

Goro had no damn clue how any of that could've been seen as "obvious". 

"Anyway, we've gone quite off-topic. Back to the matter at hand."

The detective was relieved for the change of subject. If he had to hear any more of Yusuke's praise he was sure he'd pass out on the spot.

"Let me ask again. Is there anything you can compare your anger to?" Goro brought a gloved hand to his chin and gave it some serious thought. Nothing was immediately springing to mind. "I'm not sure." After a few moments, he gets an idea and decides to bring it to Yusuke's attention. "Perhaps it would help if you told me what you compare your anger to."

Goro could see the taller boy's body tense up at the suggestion. "My anger?"

"Yes. What makes you angrier than anything else in the world?" A part of him felt guilty for prying into this but given that everyone in the phantom thieves knew about Goro's unfortunate life and his extensive trauma it seemed only fair.

The artist repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fists at his sides. He seemed determined to keep his cool as he pressed his mouth into a firm line. Yusuke swallowed a huge lump in his throat and finally answered. His voice was bitter and cold. With the shiver that went up through his spine, it felt as if he had hit Goro with his strongest possible ice spell.

"Madarame...killing my mother."

The detective felt a sharp pain deep inside his heart as if it had been forcibly pierced by an ice pick. That kind of heartache was incredibly familiar to him. Your only father figure, someone who was greatly admired by thousands if not millions of people leaving your kind-hearted mother who only wanted the best for her son to die, simply so your father figure could selfishly advance further in his career with no regard for the broken child he was leaving behind in his wake.

Goro knew. He knew exactly how that felt.

Perhaps that was why...

"Is that why you wanted to help me Kitagawa-kun?" It wasn't a mean spirited question. He just needed to know his true intentions lying behind these art sessions.

Yusuke then crossed his arms over his chest as if to keep him emotionally at bay. Guilt was clearly written all over his face as he grimaced with a nod of his head. "I'm sorry." He turned his head downward, refusing to look at the detective straight on. Goro wasn't going to have that. He wasn't going to be pitied like he was some fragile little boy who had his feelings hurt. He grabbed at Yusuke's hand firmly, making the artist's head immediately shoot up in surprise. 

"What the hell are you sorry for? For feeling a sense of kinship with me? I don't care if you feel that way so don't apologize for it."

Yusuke blinked in surprise, his mouth opening and closing as if he was trying to figure out what to say as quickly as he could. "I thought that you'd be angry if I compared my troubles to your own. Despite the similarities, they're still vastly different. I didn't want to claim that I know exactly how you feel because I don't-"

"You're an idiot."

The artist gasped in shock. "Excuse me?"

"It doesn't matter that our circumstances weren't exactly the same. We can still relate to each other." Without thinking he gripped Yusuke's hand even tighter than before. "So cut the crap and be honest with me or I won't be coming back again tomorrow! Got it?"

Yusuke just stared at him for a moment, at a loss on how to respond. Until finally he smiled with great relief. "Got it." A faint chuckle left his lips. "There's no point in arguing with you. Lest you snap and do something to hurt me." 

Goro couldn't help but laugh as well. "So now you're going to tease me too?" A little sparkle glimmered in the dark pools that were Yusuke's eyes. He seemed to be mesmerized by something. "It's only fair to return the favor." He glanced down at their hands that were still connected, a pink blush dusting his cheeks. 

"Um...Akechi? You're squeezing rather hard."

As soon as he pointed that out Goro quickly ripped his hand away, a blush of his own lighting up his cheeks. "Apologies."

Yusuke awkwardly cleared his throat while Goro nervously tugged at his gloves. It became unbearably silent until the artist finally spoke up again.

"I think I have an idea of what to paint now." A small satisfied smile curved his lips. "How about you?"

Goro thought for a moment when suddenly an idea of his own flashed clearly in his brain. "I know exactly what to paint. Although it definitely won't be exactly like I'm picturing considering my skill level..." Yusuke grabbed for a paintbrush, dipping it into a blob of bright red paint. "That's fine. As long as your painting with your heart, that's all that matters."

The older boy chuckled, grabbing a brush of his own and dipping it into a blob of blue paint. That was so painfully corny but he couldn't deny that simple truth. Especially since Yusuke had declared it so proudly with that charming proud smile.

~

The afternoon slowly began to drift to a close as both boys finished their respective works. They both stood back so they could examine each other's pieces like they did the day prior, and tried to discern the emotions held within each brushstroke.

Yusuke's had two giant tornados twirling wildly in the center in the midst of a violent storm. One of them was a vibrant red and the other was a deep midnight blue. They were colliding into each other in an attempt to form one giant violet tornado in the center. The colors were phasing into each other beautifully as they came together as one.

Goro's had swathes of grey and black swirling chaotically to resemble a thunderstorm with crazy crooked lines slashing across the canvas to signify lightning. Some lines were red and the others were blue. 

If you compared both paintings side by side it'd be easy to tell who had more experience and skill. But Yusuke insisted that didn't matter in the least. He felt every ounce of passion Goro put into it.

"Hm." As Yusuke gazed thoughtfully at the detective's painting he gripped anxiously at his shirt sleeve. It appeared as if he had something to say but he was holding back. "Kitagawa-kun. If you have something to say then say it." The artist nervously bit at his bottom lip. "I may be interpreting this wrong but...does this represent the storm in both of our hearts coming together?" Goro wasn't sure why but he suddenly felt incredibly shy. He started fiddling with his gloves again, avoiding looking at Yusuke directly. "Yes. Exactly."

The younger boy's face lit up with immense pride. "It's beautiful Akechi."

Goro could feel his cheeks starting to heat up. He wanted to deny it but he knew by now that Yusuke wouldn't listen at all. So instead he had put his focus on Yusuke's painting as he mumbled a quiet, "Thank you." The detective found himself jumping to a conclusion the moment he laid his gaze upon it. Goro feared that he may be wrong but he decided to speak his mind anyway. "Do these colliding tornados...represent you and me coming together over our shared pain and anger?" Yusuke hummed happily with a nod of his head, clearly very satisfied with his conclusion. "Indeed. That's exactly what I was trying to express."

That made Goro happier than he was willing to admit.

"Akechi...do you like it?"

Even though the question was a simple one it still through him off for a moment. This was supposed to be about expressing your immense emotions through art and conveying them to the viewer. What did it matter if Goro liked it or not? 

Yusuke was looking at him expectantly. It was so odd. But so incredibly cute as well.

No. He wasn't going there. He pushed that last thought off a cliff in his brain before he answered him. 

"I really like it. It's a beautiful piece Kitagawa-kun." Goro wasn't lying to him. He thought everything Yusuke painted was beautiful in its own way. But he'd keep that to himself of course.

The artist's eyes sparkled with pure and utter joy. "Thank you, Akechi."

Goro smiled at what he found to be a beautiful sight. 

Who knew those dark eyes could contain such a sweet gentle light?


End file.
